By now the excitement of Christmas is wearing off a bit and hopefully is fading into a wonderful memory for all. As we turn our attention to crossing the threshold into a new year, before we do, join me in rejoicing in what we have been able to accomplish as the body of Christ in 2011. Whether you are a donor, an adoptive parent, a volunteer, a missionary, on staff at SH, a board member, an influential voice, a partner, one of our prayer warriors, or a vendor, I am grateful for the part that you played that resulted in life change for hundreds of orphaned children (now former orphans) in our country and around the globe. Your steps of obedience to play your part as one of the cast of characters in the life story of these kids that we have been a part of strengthen us as an organization. At times, you may have felt like an “extra” or a “stand in” but the stories of change are epic and the impact is beyond us. God’s plans are bigger and better than ours and while I don’t have time to recount all the miracles of 2011, below are a few headlines to recap.

Adoption Aid: In November, we surpassed our 3,000 adoption assistant financial grant helping qualified families adopt children from over 50 countries! Wow, I remember when we hit three hundred and I thought “someday there will be an extra 0 at the end and we will hit 3,000.” Dare we dream 30,000 someday (will need your help if you have major donor capacity ☺ )
Outlook 2012: The number of applications still outpace our funding and the volume of applications are projected to be similar to this past year so join us in one of our greatest joys which is to help fund forever families.
Read more blogs about Adoption Aid >

Show Hope Special Care Centers: We launched two more special care centers in China adding more than 75 orphans with special needs to our care. Obviously another full year of care at MBHOH for over 130 orphaned children and some of the greatest miracles to recap is that it is our understanding over a dozen children (as far as we know…maybe more) have been adopted by families who have been cared for at MBHOH. That is what I call a major circle of blessing and the main thrust in our purpose of our Show Hope Special Care Centers – for children to be put in a greater position to be adopted.
Outlook 2012: Possibly a couple more care centers in the Henan province! Stay tuned.
Read more blogs about Show Hope Special Care Centers >

Pre/Post Adoption & Empowered to Connect Conferences: We are grateful to have organized two conferences in 2011 which brought roughly 1300 people including hurting families, counselors and church partners. Furthermore, we implemented FREE resources for our adoption aid applicants to educate them about some of the prospective challenges ahead of them to better equip them with this life breathing information.
Outlook 2012: more free resources for applicants, the addition of a third ETC conference and a prospective new strategic initiative for training purposes. (Stand by)
Register today for 2012 Empowered to Connect Conferences >

Short-Term Trips: Roughly 200 people from around the country and different groups step foot into MBHOH this past year. Two additional surgical teams to make it three (from 1 team the previous year) unique medical trips to provide life changing surgery for 35 orphans combined throughout the year. Additionally, we had a dental team work on our nannies and several student and donor teams bring their energy and passion to Luoyang, China!
Outlook 2012: Another full year of trips!!
Complete the 2012 trips application >

The Movement Club: Our first Movement event took place in Nashville earlier this year as the catalyst towards a dozen or so Movement Clubs in high schools being launched in the Nashville region. Various service projects were executed and we begin to move into a National Launch phase with a new website just recently going live and now other clubs being formed throughout the country. We are excited for students to go beyond themselves and separate themselves as leaders in their school and community. Students can’t adopt, but lets not underestimate their passion to care for orphans today as we invest into them to become the adoptive families of tomorrow.
Outlook 2012: Watch out College students, Show Hope is coming to a campus near you!!
View video updates from The Movement Club >

Awareness and Events: Year 2 of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella was incredible! The orphan cause was lifted on high in Nashville community through this theatrical performance with Class A Broadway actors and actresses, not to mention Class A directors, local sponsors and supporters. Nothing like a unique event to piggy back a cause!
Outlook 2012: Tickets on Sale now!

SCC Concerts: “I came to one of Steven’s concerts three years ago and as a result of that night, my wife and I have gone on to adopt three children.” – Show Hope Volunteer
Enough said! Don’t miss an SCC concert this coming year as we have seen the Lord use his voice and platform for God’s purposes. Thank you to all the 400+ volunteers
Outlook 2012: Saddle Up, SCC is at it again in February. Purchase tickets today >

Cry of the Orphan Media Blitz: Year 5. Thank you Focus on the Family, Family Life’s Hope for Orphans and our new partner, James Fund (Family Christian Stores) for another successful year. We reached over 20,000,000 impressions with our combined media voice and roughly 250,000 people viewed the “Answer the Cry” video in support of Orphan Sunday.
Outlook 2012: Discussions have begun already for next year.

Well, those were just a few headlines and we are forever grateful for your role in making life change a reality in 2011 for hundreds of orphans and as you can tell by the outlook comments for 2012, we need you to join us in the endeavors that He has called us to do moving forward.

If you are a donor considering a year end gift, or planning your giving for 2012 you are necessary; if you are prospective adoptive parent praying or contemplating adoption, you are necessary; if you are a volunteer seeking to volunteer for the orphan cause, you are necessary. To steal a line from our media blitz campaign, “You are God’s plan for the orphan.” Don’t let the enemy deceive you to think you are not!! Just like we learned in the parable of the lost sheep, for if even one comes into the family we should rejoice. Your steps of obedience TODAY, set in motion forever life change for someone tomorrow! Thank you for a joyful and adventurous 2011; may your pursuit of God and obedience to Him bear great fruit for His Kingdom in 2012.

This has been another amazing year of Show Hope short-term trips! In all, more than 200 medical professionals, donors, sponsors, and students visited Maria’s Big House of Hope in 2011. As the Trip Coordinator, it was particularly exciting for me to see how God handpicked each team member. Whether it was to use their medical expertise to perform surgeries and physical therapy, to draw from their teaching background to help in the pre-school, to lead worship using their musical ability, or to make use of their cosmetology profession to bless the long-term foreign staff with an American haircut, each person came with the purpose to love and serve the children and staff at MBHOH. I’m reminded of Ephesians 2:10, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Not only were team members uniquely equipped, but more importantly they were able to understand the plight of the orphan on a deeper and more intimate level by intentionally spending time in the Word and in prayer during their trip experience.

We are amazed to see how God has already come alongside these 2011 team members as they have chosen to walk in the way He has revealed to them. We celebrate with those who have gone on to adopt and rejoice as their children come home. We applaud those who have chosen or changed their careers or majors in school to better use their gifts to care for orphans. We cheer on those who have been able to start orphan care clubs and programs in their communities. And we are grateful to those who have purchased needed supplies for the special care centers and those who have become Show Hope sponsors. We at Show Hope are truly humbled to see all that God has done in and through the different teams this year! “Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness.” Psalm 115:1

Now, we are inviting YOU to apply for one of our 2012 short-term trips! We’re offering several trips to Maria’s Big House of Hope for sponsors, students, and our first men’s team. We’re also thrilled to announce our first Show Hope trips to Haiti, which will focus on empowering students to be leaders in the world of orphan care! We eagerly look forward to what is in store in 2012, and to the unique personalities, talents, and callings God will reveal in each team. If you are interested in joining us on a life changing short-term trip, please visit our trips page and get started on your application today!

Learn more about Show Hope trips >

[Discussion question: If you've been on a Show Hope trip before, what was your favorite part? If you haven't been on a trip with us, what advice or prayers can you offer the 2012 teams?]

Watch this 2011 Show Hope Short-Term Trips recap video!

Earlier this summer, we challenged you to help us reach 70,000 new “likes” on the Show Hope Facebook page to help us receive $70,00 in donations from three anonymous donors. We reached our goal thanks to your amazing response! Watch the video below to find out the exciting prizes we’re giving away to thank you!:

Use the discount code found in the video to pre-order the cool new Show Hope circle tee for 50% off!! Be sure to visit our Facebook page and enter the sweepstakes for the opportunity to win other Show Hope gear and the grand prize of a trip to Maria’s Big House of Hope on one of our 2012 short-term trips! To enter, visit our Facebook page and click on the SWEEPSTAKES tab under our profile picture. More details are available on the sweepstakes page.

“My wife, Jen, and I came to Maria’s Big House of Hope as part of our desire to work with orphans. Being Show Hope sponsors, we were able to apply for the September 2011 short-term trip and come to China as a couple. Upon arriving here, I really didn’t know what God expected from me. I have to be honest and admit, at first, I came to Maria’s because my wife insisted that I come. But now that I’m here, God has changed my heart.

“In 2009, Jen and I found out we were having fertility issues.  We were told by the doctors that it wouldn’t be impossible for us to have children, but it also wouldn’t be very easy. But after getting our hopes up, they were quickly dashed. Having previously decided that we didn’t want to have invitro-fertilization, we turned everything over to God and began to focus on adoption. I thought I had dealt with those emotions, but things resurfaced while I was here.

“After interacting with a few of the children here at Maria’s, I found myself drawn to one little boy in particular; Cadence. As I was walking past one of the rooms, he shot me a big smile, pointed and ran towards the door, so I stopped to spend time with him. Shortly after leaving the room, I began to work on one of our devotional ‘assignments’ to choose a child that stood out to us, find out more about them, and write their story as we imagined it.

“Upon trying to do this, I found myself slipping into a dark place, thinking about the fertility struggles my wife and I have had.  After sobbing for several hours, I finally found the strength to go back down and see Cadence, the little man who caught my attention earlier. As I walked into the room, I was asked to take pictures of him receiving a package from his adoptive family. At that moment, my despair for my own situation turned to hope…hope for the children here, for the glory and beauty that God can still bring into their lives, and for the possibility of a brighter future. Going from such a low point earlier in the day to one of the happiest moments I’ve had the privilege of being a part of was a true gift from God.

“Since that first day at MBHOH, I find myself happily playing with children here and praying that they would find the same peace in a forever family that so many children have found through this amazing organization.”

-Ray Hatch

You can be a part of caring for children like Cadence by becoming a sponsor >

Here is another inside peak into the exciting work going on at Maria’s Big House of Hope! Hear about what God is doing through the orthopedic surgery and physical therapy team in China.

August 16—Tuesday

Dr. Thomas started his first case today at 8am. Elijah had a tissue band that was in his toes and restricting the blood supply for his toes. They released the band so the blood flow could start, and hopefully normal growth will start.  The prognosis looks excellent.

Jeremy was the second case today and took 4 hours to do. The technical term is syndactyly, which is where two fingers grow together.  Jeremy had it on both hands between the third and forth fingers.  It was amazing seeing Dr. Thomas take skin grafts and repair between the fingers after he had separated them.

Our last little guy was Daniel.  He was one month old and had the exact same problem as Jeremy, but it only affected his left hand.

The Star Physical Therapy teams continues to do amazing things with the kids who have cerebral palsy. The team is seeing lots of smiles from kids and their nannies.

These are amazing medical teams that come over here.  Each team that comes over has long stressful days working around power issues or equipment that goes out, however God has continued to give us favor and draw ALL of us close together as we strive to honor his command.

Wednesday—August 17

Today the Star Therapy team continued to work with the kids, helping some to be mobile in chairs and others to help their joints and muscles become more flexible. Regg, one of the owners of Star, has his clown outfit here and is a big hit blowing bubbles and making animal balloons.

Dr. Thomas and his team spent about 9 hours in the OR performing two very complex surgeries. I watched the first one and didn’t even know they could perform such operations. I saw today why Brian Lewis with the Ortho team worked so hard to get a Stryker surgical drill that can place pins thru bones and attach bones together. Two very young boys will now have the use of both of their hands when they heal where before they were just able to use one. An amazing thing to see.

The two surgeries that were scheduled for tomorrow we canceled because the therapy team was able to make such progress that the surgeries are not needed now.

August 18

This morning was a day of bandage changing and pictures of the team, nannies and babies that received surgeries.

The kids that had surgery are all doing awesome.  There are some new faces zooming around Show Hope in wheel chairs and having quite a time.

We had devotions today where everyone shared what this trip had meant to them. It would be fair to say it was very emotional and such a blessing to see what God is doing in the lives of our team.

Tonight we all went into town to eat and had a great meal and a great time of fellowship. Tomorrow we will be heading off to Beijing. Thank you for all your prayerful support!

Amy Melton is a Physical Therapist with STAR Physical Therapy and is part of the August medical team at Maria’s Big House of Hope. Physical therapy was recently identified as one of the most pressing needs we have at MBHOH, and we are so grateful for the STAR team to be out there and help these kids who so desperately need therapy.

“We have been here at Maria’s Big House of Hope now for 2 days, and when I woke this morning, I thought, ‘I GET to go to work today, how awesome!!’  The joy, love, and laughter is abundant, and God’s presence spreads through this holy ground like wild fire.

“Today we worked side by side with the staff physical therapist.  She has been very instrumental in setting a developmental plan in motion, and we were able to provide additional insight into how the staff can all work together to facilitate the physical therapy needs.

“Each day there are one or two children who capture me and fill me with excitement about their future and the great ways God is working in their lives, including bringing medical teams here to provide care on multiple levels.

“My last treatment today was with a girl named Jessica. She is 4 ½ years old, and has a form of cerebral palsy.  Initially, she was very hesitant and appeared somewhat fearful as we approached her.  However, after just minutes, she was smiling, laughing, and even learned to say my name. Keep in mind I am speaking English, and she speaks Chinese.  Even still she could repeat what I said and said “Amy” just as plain as you and I would say it.  She was fascinated with my camera as well.  She flashed me smile that I will never forget and it will hold a place in my heart forever, and for that alone, I will be forever grateful to STAR and Show Hope for this experience.

“We have three more days here, and I cant wait to go to bed just so the next day will hurry and get here and I can go back to work….now how many of you can say that about your job?

“I end my day with these lyrics in my head ‘…Our God is healer, awesome in power, Our God, Our God…’ –Chris Tomlin”

-Amy Melton

A special thanks to all our donors and sponsors who every month enable these amazing kids to receive the most excellent care in a loving family atmosphere at our Special Care Centers!

We currently have an amazing medical team at Maria’s Big House of Hope this week, and they are busy making miracles happen through orthopedic surgery and physical therapy!  Below you’ll find a sneak peak into this trip through the trip journal of trip coordinator David Trask:

August 12–Friday

Friday we all were supposed to show up at the Nashville airport by 4:15am but you know how that goes. Check in could be easy but it usually never is.  But we all made it and boarded the plane, off to Beijing.

August 13–Saturday

Everything went on schedule getting to Beijing at 1:45pm.  We arrived at the group check in, and the flight was delayed. The same girl I talked to last month told me the same thing as before, so we moved all of our luggage out away from the counter. Last time, we found out the flight was on time about 50 minutes before the flight left, and it was crazy getting everybody checked in and cleared thru security and to the gate in time. Same thing happened tonight, and it was just as crazy. We were deliriously tired on this flight because we’d already been up about 30 hours.  After the 1½-hour flight to Luoyang and a 15-minute drive, we were finally at Maria’s Big House of Hope.

August 14—Sunday Pre Op day

This morning after breakfast, the amazement for the team started as pre-op rounds got underway, and everyone got their first glimpse of the kids.  Until you come here, you are never prepared for the surgery that goes on in your heart as you start picking up kids and looking into their little eyes.  You are truly never the same.

Today while the surgical team was preparing all the supplies they needed in the OR, Dr. Thomas was in the dorm laying in his bed and studying the procedures he was doing in the morning. Surgery will start in the morning at 7:30am.  Please pray for the team.

August 15

This morning there were lots of anxious people as we prepared to get the first case going. The precious child first undergoing surgery was named James, who had an extra thumb. Dr. Thomas fixed him up, so he now has 8 fingers and two thumbs. It may seem like a little thing, but it literally changed his life. What an amazing gift of dexterity, dignity, and self-respect.

All three surgeries today were very successful. You could see the relief on the face of Dr. Thomas and his surgical team to get the first day behind them. The other two surgeries were also boys.  Yaakov had the fingers on his left hand separated, and Kitt had an internal band removed that was constraining his foot.  If the band had not been removed, he would have lost his foot entirely.

The Star Physical Therapy team today specifically worked with some of the kids that are going to have surgery. Their mission was to stretch the muscles and skin tissue to help prepare the joint for surgery and to allow Dr. Thomas to maximize the success of the reconstruction. They also assessed multiple children who aren’t getting surgery to begin training sessions for the nannies to continue physical therapy long after they are done.

Looking Forward

I know that where we are staying and working this week in Luoyang is Holy Ground.  Please continue to pray for the entire team this week as doctors, nurses, therapists, and behind the scenes staff are here to carry out James 1:27 where God invites us to care for orphans in the time of their need.  Caring is being done here for orphans at Maria’s Big House of Hope in Luoyang, China.  Ask God to show you what your part is in this on going need.  We certainly need your prayers, but is God calling you to consider adoption or is he asking you to financially support Show Hope?

It is really overwhelming to be here.  Dr. Thomas and I were talking, and I said I believe God prepared each person in all their training to be here on August 15, 2011, to use their talents to make a difference in the lives of James, Yaakov and Kitt. It was something special to see Dr. Thomas and the whole team use their God-given skills to make a difference today.

“If you walk into the Jungle Book room at Maria’s Big House of Hope with a camera, you have to have a certain understanding: you will no longer have control of that camera! Isaac loves to take pictures, and I now have an abundance of random pictures on my camera that he has taken over the past couple of days. Upon entering the room, Isaac will come over and ask for the ‘piktur.’ Then, he holds the camera up and yells ‘KAH-SMILE!’ If you are lucky, he might even take a picture with you. Isaac has a lot of fun taking these pictures, as evidenced by the huge ‘kah-smile’ on his face.

“Here at MBHOH, a smile means everything. It shows that a child is happy and wanting you to return that smile or responding to the smile you are giving him or her. A smile is a display of trust. When you walk into a room, some of the kids may be unsure at first, but usually all it takes is for you to smile and they know that you are here to love them.

“This love is frequently shown on the faces of the nannies here at Maria’s. It is obvious when you enter the room that these children are adored by their caretakers. When a kid falls and starts crying, all it takes is the nanny to pick up the kid and all is well with the world. Maria’s Big House of Hope would not be half of what it is without these incredible nannies. These women share wonderful bonds with the children.

“We pray that one day each of the children at MBHOH will have a loving home where they will be able to share smiles with their forever families. These smiles are truly precious. Next time you ‘kah-smile’ at someone, you might be changing a life.”

-Elena Bell

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“Before coming to MBHOH I had heard facts like 140 million orphans are living in the world today and every 18 seconds a child is orphaned. Before coming here I knew I would be seeing a handful of those orphans, but I never really stopped to think how God has made each of these children so unique. I have seen God in every child’s eyes that has looked up at me. As I started to hold and play with the children, I started seeing them as very distinct human beings and not just one of the 140 million orphans. It wasn’t just because of their special needs, but little things like what makes them laugh, cry, jump in your arms or shy away.

“There’s Cadence, who makes his nannies and everyone here laugh each day. Isaac has so much joy that you can’t help but smile when you walk past the door and he calls “come in, come in”! Then there are the sweet little babies like Joseph and Milton who are content just to lie on your chest and hold on to your finger; And Hannah, though she doesn’t like to be held, her big black eyes look at you with so much hope and peace that I melt every time I sit next to her. These children deserve all the time, prayers, love and hope that we can give them. I’ve had the amazing opportunity to meet these beautiful children. I’ve been able to hold, tickle, snuggle, hug and rock them to sleep. During this trip God has taught me that the orphan crisis is so much more than just a number.”

The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing. -Zephaniah 3:17

-Hannah Kelsey

To help provide life-giving care to the children at Maria’s Big House of Hope, become a sponsor today >

“After just a few days in China, the team, the kids, and the staff already feel like family.’Team Awesome’ is how our team has been jokingly referring to ourselves, but it really is the best way to describe the people I have been serving with. At first, coming to on this trip to Maria’s Big House of Hope was really overwhelming, but after a few minutes with the team it got easier. There have been small annoyances along the way such as a flight being delayed twice, but God has made us all feel like we were coming home rather than somewhere new and different.

“Our first assignment for our team devotionals was to find a child we had a unique and personal connection with and to write about what they may think or feel about their past and future from their perspective. At first I feared I may not find that special connection with any of the children at MBHOH, so I prayed as I headed to the fourth floor with Katie, one of our team leaders, and a few other team members.

“As you can probably guess, I fell in love instantly. I found “my” child on the first floor I went to. It was like we had a magnetic connection. I was halfway afraid that she would not have that same connection with me, but I knew God was in control and walked right on over to pick her up. Her name is Caroline, and she has big, brown, sparkly eyes that you simply cannot resist. Before I knew it, we had been giggling and cuddling for over thirty minutes, and she accepted me as her new friend right away. I never could have imagined a child so beautiful and fun, but God knew we would share that moment of pure joy long before either of us were born. Praise God and His wonderful creations!”

- Amberly Holden

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“What an adventure! Alongside people I have known for just 72 hours, I have flown halfway (literally) across the world, hiked up the Great Wall of China, and arrived at Maria’s Big House of Hope. It all seems surreal; there is no way this is happening. After months of planning, preparing, and praying, we are at Maria’s Big House of Hope! We arrived late at night, but could still see the building, painted like the sky, letting us know that we had made it.

“We can already see how God has brought us all together and brought us all here. We have all been humbly reminded and have been reminding each other that there is no way this could happen outside of the love of Christ. Our hearts share a common bond that started us all on this journey. I am constantly reminded of how we were once orphans until we were adopted in to Christ’s family.

“The children here are breaking our hearts already. Seeing smiles on their faces is a beautiful reminder of our purpose here, to show these children hope. It is evident that those who have been here before us have done exactly that. There is an overwhelming sense of God’s presence here, leaving us with the feeling that this is a story of grief being beautifully redeemed as a way for others to hear about the work taking place here.”

-Sara Jennings

To help provide life-giving care to orphans at Show Hope Special Care Centers like Maria’s Big House of Hope, become a Show Hope sponsor  today >

“Our journey started in an airport with 100 pounds of checked luggage per person. There we were—13 women: mothers, daughters, sisters, friends, connected to each other by a shared love for Jesus, a sense of adventure, and hearts longing to be a part of a story bigger than their own. We have since found ourselves in the middle of an ancient culture sleeping in a big blue house and surrounded by the energy of 140 orphans under the age of 5. At Maria’s Big House of Hope in Luoyang, China, we’re about as far away from home as we could ever be, but finding ourselves more at home than we could ever imagine.

“We brought suitcases overflowing with new summer clothing for the children and gifts for the nurses and nannies. We came with design ideas for the living areas of the nurses, a plan to beautify the rooftop deck, and a dream to upgrade the kitchen/tv room for the staff. We came knowing that we only had 5 days to complete our plans and share our hearts with the children we are falling in love with. Our days are filled with a sense of the surreal. The joyfulness of being with each other is juxtaposed with the harsh reality of the health issues of the children and the overwhelming need for forever families for each little boy and girl. Our emotions run high with the power of each moment spent rocking, singing, playing, weeping.

“In five days, we have rearranged furniture, painted walls, given a facelift to the kitchen, hung draperies, furnished the rooftop deck, and totally exhausted Mikey (who, by the way, is an amazing guy with a heart for the work at MBHOH).

“We are back in Beijing now, seeing the wonders of this amazing country and processing what we have seen…and what we are now responsible for. We know our hearts are forever changed. Our journey has not been about what we have done for God, it has been about what God has done for us.”

- Donna Daniel, Show Hope board member